WASHINGTON — Swimsuit season is right around the corner. And that means it is prime time for dieters — and diet fads.
There have been a lot of them over the years, from Paleo to cabbage soup. But the numbers from the National Weight Control Registry — a database of long-term successful dieters — indicate that is not the way to go.
“There is no secret behind it — a healthy balanced diet and exercise is going to get you where you want to be,” says Dan Frazier, a registered dietitian with the MedStar Washington Hospital Center.
He adds that realistic weight-loss goals are important. He’s not a fan of fasting, saying, “you are essentially starving yourself.”
Moderation is key, and getting proper nutrition is crucial. And to that end, some tools can help. One is the glycemic index, used by diabetics to avoid blood-sugar spikes.
“A lot of those sugary sweets and beverages are very high-glycemic,” says Frazier, calling them foods we should all avoid. That’s because most high-glycemic foods are also very high in calories, while low-glycemic foods are low in calories, but high in protein and fiber.
The catch is that using the glycemic index can be tricky, because it is not part of the nutrition labeling on packaged foods.
Instead, experts advise that you use it as a kind of general guidance — remembering, for example, that highly processed foods are very high-glycemic and thus not good for diabetics, or anyone else seeking a healthy diet.
